


Caught Running

by CannedGenie



Series: Dream SMP Brainrot [1]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Character Death, Cut Off from Canon at Doomsday, Flashbacks, Gen, Ghost Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), How Do I Tag, I’ll keep some stuff but other bits of canon will be firmly ignored, Killing, Light Angst, No Beta We Get killed by killza, Not Canon Compliant, Possession, Running Away, Self-Hatred, Some elements taken from Tales From The SMP, Violence, especially most of the newest lore, even I won’t know when they’ll happened, how can there be angst and humour you ask?, unpredictable updates, well i don’t know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28871193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CannedGenie/pseuds/CannedGenie
Summary: Tommy and Tubbo venture out from the mainlands in search of Dream. They had followed the compass to the discs expecting a final confrontation, a battle to the death.Instead they find a cooling corpse and a ghost that’s set on being left alone.OrTommy and Tubbo leave to fight Dream and find his ghost instead. The two want to know what the fuck’s going on while the ghost just wants to live in self-exile.(This was written before the real final confrontation (on Jan 20th) and also before the stream in which Dream XD was revealed. This story will mostly not follow canon, using it as only as a loose guide)
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Clay | Dream, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Wilbur Soot, No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: Dream SMP Brainrot [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117283
Comments: 31
Kudos: 722





	1. Surprise and Abandoned Villages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a mention of a dead body in this chapter  
> Also this was written before the actual confrontation and as mentioned in the summary and tags deviates from canon greatly
> 
> Edit: (this is like ten minutes after I posted) I didn’t know about Tommy having Chekov’s gun so now I will simply pretend it doesn’t exist

They had been ready for anything. Their armour had all the needed enchantments, and their weapons glowed with power. Packed safely in their bags were potions of all kinds and all the golden apples they could possibly need. They were stacked.

Tommy had silently led the way forward, checking the compass every five minutes. The ridiculously named crossbow “ _Definitely Not Penis”_ charged with a singe Arrow of Harming, hung from his shoulder. It was a grim reminder of who exactly their target was. The crossbows enchantments making it unnaturally easy to load and its bolts impossible to block. It left its targets with no other option but running.

_(It was the perfect weapon for Dream. Deadly and merciless. Yet, anytime Tommy actually took the time to look at it, study it, a bitter taste filled his mouth. Sure the enchantments matched Dream, but the name didn’t. The silly, childish name was something you’d expect from a silly, childish person. Not a manipulating fuck. How the fuck does someone go from naming their weapons “Definitely Not Penis” to “Nightmare?” From someone go from a silly friend to a power-hungry villain?)_

It had taken a day and a half of walking for them to reach their destination. Tubbo had noticed it first, immediately pointing out the pillar of smoke rising above the oak trees. The two had walked the last few minutes on high alert. They had known he was near, the compass pointing straight towards the hidden flame.

Tommy had thought they were prepared for anything when they walked into the forest clearing. Nights had been spent thinking up every possible contingency; nothing could catch him off guard. Not even the master of plans Dream. The fucking puppeteer that seemed to know how to make everything turn out how he wants it to.

But Tommy had made sure to expect everything from the ground turning into lava to anvils falling from the sky. Whatever mind games Dream tried to play wouldn’t work on Tommy this time.

So when they walked into the clearing, he hadn't been surprised.

He hadn’t been surprised by how peaceful the area was with its gurgling river and yellow flowers. It was just a ruse.

He hadn’t been surprised by the peaceful campfire set not far from the ruins of some ancient abandoned village. This was just a way for Dream to try and be mysterious, a way to confuse and intimidate them.

He hadn’t been surprised when there was no sign of the green bitch anywhere. He could be in the trees or in one of the rotting houses or doing some other sneaky shit to try and get the jump on them.

He hadn’t been surprised when Tubbo wordlessly pointed out a precariously placed chest on what might have once been a village well. No matter what the sign on it said, it probably didn’t really have his disc; it was just another attempt to mess with them.

No, he hadn’t been surprised by any of those things. He was used to Dream’s mind fuckery. He’d lived through exile with the masked bastard; he could deal with this. So he hissed at Tubbo to snap back into the game and brought his shield up, waiting for the imminent attack.

An attack that never came. As the duo advanced into the village, both teens became aware of a strong copper smell coming from somewhere nearby. And as it turned out, he wasn’t prepared for anything.

He was surprised when they noticed the slumped over the body by what looked to be a torn down prison. Tommy didn’t know why it took them so long to see it considering it was wrapped in bright green.

He was surprised when he noticed the fresh blood still flowing out of the quickly paling body. This was recent, very fucking recent.

He was surprised by the familiar mask, cracked but still hiding the dead man's features. The smile that had filled so many with fear had a giant split in the middle, somehow even scarier.

And he was surprised by the glowing gold sword still stuck into the body, obviously the weapon to deliver the killing blow. It had somehow stabbed through the netherite; gold wasn’t supposed to do that.

Tubbo threw up beside him, and Tommy joined him not long after.

There had been so much build-up to this moment. Neither had slept for the last three days, having nightmares about what would happen. They couldn’t even eat well, too stressed to try and digest anything properly. Both of them knew deep down that this battle was a final one.

Tommy had accepted that a long time ago.

So to have it all end like this. With an already dead Dream waiting for them and the discs left for them to simply pick up. Where the fuck even were they? What was this village, and what was the point of Dream bringing them here? Who even killed the fucker?

…who even killed Dream?

Someone had to have killed him. The sword was proof that someone else had been here and that that someone had somehow killed one of the strongest men in the area with a golden sword. Which meant that that someone was dangerous. The body was still seeping blood, which means that that someone was also close.

Someone dangerous was close to them. Fuck.

Quickly wiping his mouth, Tommy brought his shield up and frantically looked around. They had just let their guard down with some unknown bastard lurking nearby.

“Tubbo you can be gross later, there’s someone else here!” He couldn’t see anyone, but if they got the jump on Dream, this mysterious killer could probably hide pretty well.

“Tommy, what are you talking about? Dream’s been killed- oh. Oh, no,” Tubbo snapped back into battle mode in record time, and the friends were soon standing back to back, keeping all sides covered.

_(A part of Tommy wanted to focus on Dream’s body. It was there, slowly paling, only a few meters away. The man who had taken away everything he had and ruined all of his relationships. The tyrant who fuelled chaos and started wars. The bastard who drove Wilbur mad._

_He was dead only a few meters away._

_Tommy felt like he could cry from joy. With Dream gone, everything would be better. With Dream gone, they could all be free, and he could live happily. His worst tormenter, the man who had spent months manipulating and gaslighting him, was gone for good. This was justice._

_But he also felt like he wanted to scream._

_This was supposed to be the thing that led to his redemption. The one thing that could clear his sins and redeem him in the eyes of the people he hurt. The one thing that could show Tubbo and everyone else that he could do good._

_Why did someone have to take that away from him too?)_

The forest remained still around them, only the usual woodland creatures scurrying around and making noise. Tommy couldn’t tell how long they stood still with their shields up, but soon his arm started to cramp. A murder of crows gathered above them, waiting for them to leave so they could eat away at the newly dead corpse.

“Maybe,” A soft whisper came from behind Tommy, and he had to stop himself from jumping at Tubbo’s voice. “Whoever killed him immediately ran away?”

“Yeah, maybe...But listen, man, I’m not taking any chances,” They simply couldn’t afford to leave anything up to fate. “And for all, we know this is just another one of Dream’s games.”

“How can it be one of his games if he’s dead?” Of course, Tubbo wouldn’t be as knowledgeable about Dream’s ways. Even if the green bitch had manipulated Tubbo too, he had never been as bold with the ex-president. Never as malicious until the day before Doomsday.

“It might all be fake for all we know! Dream’s a bitch, and I’ve learned a lot about his ways in exile.”

“Are you saying that he might not be dead? Shouldn’t we check then?” In the corner of his eye, Tommy could see Tubbo send a wary glance towards bleeding form. His friend had a point, and it would be a good idea to check and confirm the death.

“Well, then let’s move closer unless you want me to throw my sword at him or something!” Making up his mind, Tommy shifted towards the dead man clothed in green. His shield was on the ready, and Tubbo watched his back as he stepped closer to the destroyed village prison.

Once in reach, Tommy carefully poked at the masked man with the tip of his sword. He couldn’t see anything, not even a breath. Dream was dead.

_(Except the mask was still there, so how could they be sure that this was Dream? What if the bastard just made some fucker dress like him and then killed him. What if he was hiding somewhere, watching and laughing as they took their breaths of relief._

_God, why hadn’t he thought of that sooner.)_

“He’s dead, but- Tubbo, he- but we don’t reallyknowifit’sDreamorifthisreallyisafukingtrap.Ohgod,fuckfuckfuck-” The words came hurried and not completely understandable in his sudden outburst. Tubbo turned to face him, giving him a look that told him to try again.

“Tubbo, we don’t know what Dream looks like, so we can’t tell for sure if this is him! He could have just stuck his stupid mask on someone and killed them instead. Tubbo, this could all be a big lie.” He had looked his friend straight in the eyes when he said it. Now he slightly regretted the action as he had front row seats to the panic alighting in them.

Tubbo paled, and his hands started to shake. Like a fish, his mouth moved to form words, but no sound came out. Tommy had thought his friend would be shocked, but not this badly. He was half tempted to slap him. Just to see if Tubbo could react to things in this state since at the moment, all his friend seemed to do was stare at him. Which was really bad if Dream was actually nearby.

Wait, no, Tubbo wasn’t staring at him. His eyes were focused on something above Tommy.

“I assure you that’s me and that I am dead.” A familiar voice came from somewhere behind him, and Tommy swung around to face the speaker. His sword was held threateningly in front of him as he stared up in shock at the new arrival.

Well, technically, he wasn’t all that new at all.

“Now, please take your stupid disc,” A greyish, translucent finger pointed towards the chest set on the village well's wall. “And all the other shit in there too, and leave. The last thing I need is fucking Tommy Innit running around here and screwing things up.”

Dream's ghost stared down at them, his usual netherite armour replaced by a single beaten up iron chest plate. The three inches separating the ghost's feet from the ground only added to the already tall man’s height as he towered over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghost Dream go brrr


	2. Annoyance and “Trinkets”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with deciding how the setting would work for this story but I think I finally have it down. This story will not have the server mechanics or most of the other game like things like inventories and crafting benches. Which of course makes somethings a bit illogical but I felt like it would be easier for me to write somethings in this sort of setting.  
> So when at one point the characters say something about being in a server think of it as a country or continent. Server is just a way to define a territory in this universe.
> 
> WARNING: MENTIONS OF DEAD BODY. NOTHING DESCRIPTIVE BUT IT IS MENTIONED MULTIPLE TIMES

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Tubbo snapped out of his shock from Tommy’s yell. Everything was happening much too quickly around him.

First, they had found Dream dead in the middle of some ancient village. Then, both of them had thrown up from the mix of stress, surprise and disgust at the skewered body. Next, he was reminded by Tommy that for someone to get stabbed, someone else had to do the stabbing. They had stood on the ready for fifteen minutes, and Tubbo had asked his friend if maybe the threat was cleared. That had made Tommy check if the dead body was really dead, and sent him into an almost spiral about how Dream might be faking everything. It was clear that they were both too panicked to think straight.

And then, halfway through Tommy explaining how they didn’t know what Dream really looked like, Tubbo had noticed the silently approaching figure. In all his green glory, a ghostly Dream made his way towards them. Tubbo’s throat went dry.

He couldn’t even warn Tommy, couldn’t even raise his sword.

So when Tommy’s loud yell snapped him out, Tubbo immediately lunged forward to attack the phantom.

_(That’s Dream and Dream wanted to kill them. Dream would kill them._

_Just because Ghostbur had been nice to them, it didn’t mean Dream’s ghost would. Dream_ was _never nice nowadays. Dream was only dangerous._

_Tubbo had to keep Tommy safe.)_

The sword went through the spirit without any consequence, not even the iron chest plate seemed tangible, and Tubbo stared at where he had expected a gash to have appeared. Dream didn’t seem affected by the sword at all.

“God, I forgot how loud you are. Just take your fucking disc Tommy and fuck off.” Beside him, Tommy stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the cloak-wearing ghost. It looked like he had entered shock just like Tubbo had moments ago.

Deciding to help his friend, Tubbo gently elbowed the blonde, snapping him back to reality. Another sword swung, cutting through the non-corporeal being. The result hadn’t changed in the few seconds that had passed.

“You just saw Tubbo do that. What did you think would change?” It was definitely Dream talking to them. Same voice as when he was alive. Nothing more damning than the smiling mask covering the ghost's face.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Tommy yelled for the second time. His exclamation was followed by an annoyed huff from the ghost. “How- You just fucking died, and you're already here!?”

“That’s how ghosts work, Tommy. We appear when people die.” Tubbo clutched his sword tighter at the phantom’s annoyed tone. Ghost or not, Dream was a threat. Him being dead didn’t change that in any way.

Even if the only weapon Dream had was a well-used wooden shovel, he could probably find a way to kill them both. Especially if their attacks just went through him.

Slowly Tubbo started backing away from the ghost, and, on instinct, Tommy followed. Both their shields were raised as the threat caused by Dream’s appearance sank in. This was Dream, the man pulling all the puppet strings and causing all the conflict. No, him being dead did not change anything, the intangibility of his body making him even more dangerous than before.

Whatever relief Tubbo had felt at seeing the golden sword piercing the tyrant's chest disappeared in a flash at the new revelation.

“Dream if you fucking think that you can get the jump on us now that your dead you're wrong! Prepare to double die bitch!” It looked like Tommy was back in the game, clearly ready to fight the ghost even if his previous attack did nothing.

_(Why had they been so relieved to see him dead? Of course, Dream would have something up his sleeve. Of course, him being dead wasn’t the end. He would always find a way to turn things in his favour. Turn a disadvantage into an advantage._

_Even if that disadvantage was death.)_

The ghost remained silent before sighing. Without a word, Dream turned away from them and casually floated towards his own corpse. Involuntarily Tubbo’s eyes were once more drawn to the cooling body, and he felt his stomach churn.

There was something very wrong with seeing Dream’s dead body and Dream’s ghost in the same space.

“Where the- Did you just ignore me? Oi! You green bastard, what the fuck!?” Tommy moved to follow the ghost, but Tubbo stopped him before he could. The ex-president hoped that Tommy could see the warning in his eyes. That his friend would realize that this was not the time or place for rash decisions.

Tommy paused and then nodded, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. As a unit, the two turned to face the ghost, shields on the ready. The phantom paid them no mind, instead simply staring at his corpse.

Again there was something very wrong with that.

“Dream, what are you doing? What's the meaning of all this?” This time when Tommy spoke, his voice was more level, clearly more rational. The severity of the situation was slowly catching up to the both of them.

While not having to fight Dream was good news, everything else about this turn of events was bad. If they had simply gone and fought Dream as they had planned, then they would know what to expect. However, now things were all sorts of messed up. Dream was dead, which was good, but now they had to deal with his ghost, who may or may not act differently or be amnesiac. There was also the question of who could have killed him. People don’t just stab others with golden swords for no reason.

And again, gold isn’t supposed to be able to go through netherite. No amount of enchantments can change that.

There were so many things wrong now.

“Dream, stop ignoring me! You burned down my fucking house! The only thing you left behind was a stupid note threatening to burn my discs! You said that we needed to follow this compass and that only me and Tubbo could come." Tommy yelled. The ghost remained silent, instead casually circling his own remains. The blonde teen now had the compass in hand, " _Your Discs"_ neatly engraved in the side of it. “And then when we come here, we find you dead in some shithole village. What the fuck Dream?”

Again the ghost seemed to be set on ignoring Tommy, and Tubbo could feel his friend's anger slowly rise. Maybe it was time he tried stepping in.

“Dream, why are you ignoring us? You told us to leave just moments ago, but if you don’t answer our questions we’re not going to leave.” The phantom finally turned to face them. His upright form stood right in front of his slumped-over corpse, creating a strange duality between the two.

No, there was definitely something very, very wrong with this. Weren’t ghosts supposed to be a lot less casual about how they die?

“I wouldn’t call it a shithole.” It was a bit odd to hear Dream simply talking. No undertones to be found.

“What?” Tommy asked, incredulous.

“The village. I wouldn’t call it a shithole. A lot of the houses are too unstable to live in, but the space is nice.” Dream then turned back around and reached his shovel out to poke at his own dead body.

So fucked up.

“What- why would you even- Out of all the things you could have said, you choose that!” Tommy sputtered. “Also stop touching that, it’s fucking creepy.”

“Then leave. The disc, what I assume you originally came here for, is in that chest on the well. All of hi- My weapons and a compass that should lead to the second disc are in there two.” In the growing panic, Tubbo had forgotten all about the chest placed on the village well. It had a sign on the front, dramatically naming it “ _Discs._ ”

The two boys exchanged glances and silently made up a quick course of action. Tubbo kept his sword up and on the ready as Tommy took out _“Definitely Not Penis”_ and carefully inched towards the chest. The crossbow was loaded and ready to fire, just in case the ghost had a change of mind and Tommy needed to jump in to help Tubbo. You could never be too careful with Dream.

After making sure that the chest wasn’t trapped in any way, Tommy opened the lid. Tubbo had turned around at the sound. He had his doubts about what was in the chest, but as he watched Tommy’s jaw drop, he had a feeling that the ghost was telling the truth.

“Holy shit!” A wide grin split Tommy’s face. “Holy shit, Tubbo! I have Mellohi!” The white and purple disc was held up for Tubbo to see. It really was the disc.

Then Tommy took out a familiar-looking axe. The sun caught on the razor-sharp blade of _“Nightmare”_ sending shivers down Tubbo’s spine.

Behind him, he heard a scoff. When he glanced at the Dream's ghost he found him looking at Tommy. Then he turned away, and Tubbo got the feeling that the spirit had just rolled his eyes at them.

Tommy had also heard the scoff and turned around to look at the phantom, axe still in hand. “Wait, wait, wait, why the fuck are you giving us this stuff? And Jesus Christ, man, stop poking at your corpse it’s weird.” 

Dream, who seemed to be done observing his dead self, turned to face them. His shovel was left on the ground, but somehow Tubbo still felt threatened by him.

By the memories of him, to be more precise.

_(“You are an idiot. You are a buffoon. You are a fool. I never cared about you. I am not your friend.”_

_With each word, he curled into himself. Nothing but weak protests from his friends competing with Dream’s declarations. Why had he ever trusted the masked man? Why had he yearned to find a friend in him?_

_He hated how right Dream was but could do nothing about it. The truth is the truth.)_

“So you leave me alone. This is the last time I’m saying this, take your disc and all that other shit and leave. Go back to L’Manberg or whatever other stupid nation you decide to make. I don’t want anything to do with you or any of your stupid trinkets.” While as a whole Dream’s ghost had stayed calm, only ever sounding annoyed or peeved, this time his voice was full of venom. Both teens immediately tensed at just how hateful Dream sounded when he said the last sentence.

But when Tubbo snuck a glance at Tommy, he wasn’t surprised to see his friend completely undeterred.

“What? So you just expect us to leave you here so you can come back and haunt us or some shit? Didn’t you say that the discs were all you cared about? That you just wanted the power they gave you? We’re not idiots Dream; we know your schemes.” The blonde had a fire in his eyes as he glared at the phantom. Dream only seemed to stare at Tommy though Tubbo couldn’t really tell with the mask.

The childishly drawn smile gave nothing away.

However, Dream’s pissed off voice did. “Tommy, I don’t give a fuck about your discs! I don’t give a fuck about L’Manberg, or you, or Tubbo, or anyone who lives in this server! I don’t care about anything,” The rant made Tubbo shiver, reminding him of the last time he had seen Dream this mad. Except that time, the cloaked man wasn’t floating an extra three inches of the ground and wasn’t see-through. “I don’t care about anything…”

Yet as much as the outburst reminded Tubbo of the old Dream, it also didn’t. There was something in the way the ghost seemed to taper off at the end, as if unsure of his own words. Something in how the ghost’s hands were clenched into shaking fists, but he made no move to attack.

“I don’t care- care… Fuck, just leave alone, Tommy! Go find your second disc or something! Take everything. And go!”

Tommy sputtered for words, clearly shaken by the familiarity of the situation. Tubbo decided to step in and help his friend. Some questions needed to be answered, and he had a feeling that if things kept on like this, that would never happen. He just needed to get back into that president mindset that helped him deal with Dream in the past. He’ll deal with all the feelings it brought up later.

“Dream, wait! Wait! We’ll leave you alone if you just answer a few questions.”

The blonde by his side recovered a bit and looked at Tubbo. Tommy was clearly confused but didn’t interrupt. The ghost, on the other hand, snapped around to look at Tubbo. The action made him gulp.

“Three questions, and then you leave.” Dream’s tone made it clear that the number wasn’t up to debate.

“Okay, okay. We’ll ask three questions, and then we’ll leave you alone. We’ll take the disc with us and all your gear. That’s what you want, right?” A nod was the only answer he got.

“And you better not be lying about the compass leading us to my second disc,” Tommy had pulled out the enchanted compass from the chest to highlight his point. The compasses arrow supposedly pointing to the place where the last war-starting disc was hidden.

“I’m not lying,” It seemed the ghost was slowly losing his patience.

“Okay! Okay. First of all, why are you doing this?” A moment of silence passed, and Tubbo scrambled to explain himself. “I mean, when you were alive, all you cared about were the discs. And after you blew up L’Manberg, you told us that we were too "fun" to leave alone. And you always walked around armed. You didn’t seem to ever let go of your axe! This, uh, this just doesn’t seem like something you would do.”

“I- I,” Dream hesitated, seeming to flounder for something to say. “Well, I’m dead now, and I don’t need any of those things anymore. It’s, heh, it’s pretty clear they weren’t much use to me in the end… And there’s nothing left for me in the mainland, so there's no reason for me to come back. I have no attachments forcing me to go back, so why should I?” Even though he sounded confident, Dream’s hands fidgeted as he talked.

“Not even Sapnap and George?”

“Is that your second question?”

“No, that’s not our second question! Dream, how much do you remember? Ghostbur couldn’t remember any of the bad stuff, and you seem to be pretty in the know.” It was clear that Dream was not the same kind of ghost as Ghostbur was. He was very aware of everything going on and seemed to remember everything. Though they couldn’t be sure, not when this was only the second time someone they knew had turned into a ghost.

“I remember enough. I know what everyone thinks of me and that me being dead won’t change shit.” Tubbo had expected to hear bitterness, but instead, Dream sounded resigned. It was odd coming from someone who seemed to do nothing but fight and cause chaos.

Beside him, Tommy gave a small huff in agreement. With all the things Dream did, probably not even his death could change people’s minds. The memory of endless streams of TNT dropping from the sky would haunt the citizens of L’Manberg their whole lives. His death had cut all the puppet strings, and Tubbo couldn’t think of anyone who would want to risk getting tangled in them again.

_(Except there was something wrong here. Something was very wrong, and Tubbo couldn’t get rid of the feeling that they were making a mistake leaving the ghost here._

_Since when did Dream care about what they thought of him?_

_Since when was he so quick to give up?_

_His death couldn’t have changed him this much, not if he remembers everything. Shouldn’t he be gearing up and going off to hunt down the person who killed him?_

_Why would a man who was willing to do so much for power give it up so easily?)_

“Okay then, last question, and then we’ll leave,” The ghost stared at them, mask hiding his thoughts. “Dream, who killed you?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 320 kudos from one update, I- wow.  
> I was not expecting people to like this so much. This was honestly a spur of the moment idea I wanted to write.  
> Thank you for all the kind comments they really make my day and encourage me to continue writing. I can’t promise quality but I’ll try.


	3. Confusion and Torches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify I write about the characters each cc plays in the Dream SMP not the actual people (though that might be a bit obvious and I think everyone already knows that)
> 
> Also I have a feeling I’ll probably end up writing the characters a bit ooc just because I don’t have a lot of writing experience and struggle with that sort of thing.

_“You’re the one who did it? Why?”_

_…_

_“You know you can’t change anything, right?”_

_…_

_“This is for the better. You need to accept that, old friend.”_

_…_

_“Let go. We both know you won’t actually do it. Oh, come on now, don’t give me that.”_

_…_

_“Oh…”_

Dream remained deathly still after Tubbo’s question. Not even a flutter of his cloak, even the wind seemed unable to touch the ghost. It was unnerving, and Tommy hated it.

But before he could voice the thought, Dream finally broke the silence. 

“…I, uh- Cornelius... Yeah...his name was Cornelius. I was killed by a man who went by the name Cornelius…Cornelius the Wise.” For someone who had just given off such a creepy aura, Tommy had excepted a much more ominous answer. It almost sounded like Dream made the name up on the spot. It wouldn’t be the first time he lied.

“Who the fuck’s that?” Tommy and Tubbo asked at the same time. They had never heard the name before; it told them nothing. 

“It’s the name of the man who killed me." The ghost’s voice was unreadable, Tommy wanted to rip that stupid mask off. "I answered all your questions, now leave.” 

“That doesn’t tell us anything!” Outraged, Tommy almost stepped forward to grab at the ghost. He was getting fed up with this treatment. Dream was obviously lying, just like he always did when trying to manipulate them. But at the same time, there was something different from his usual routine. It left Tommy feeling confused and conflicted; he hated it.

“That name sounds like you made it up on the spot!” Tubbo was also clearly unhappy with the answer. 

“I did not!" The ghost dared to sound offended. "And it does tell you something! You know his name now,” Dream almost seemed embarrassed at the criticism. “And it doesn’t matter anyway. He won’t be coming back to bother you. The only reason he even came here was to kill hi- me.”

“What does that even mean!?”

“I- It doesn’t matter. I answered your questions like I promised, now leave me alone!” The ghost raised his voice, losing his patience. It made Tommy even more pissed off. 

“Dream, you stupid bitch. If you want us to leave, then answer our questions!”

“I did!”

“No, you didn’t! What are we supposed to do with just a name? All we know is that you were killed by some Cornelius man that can use a golden sword to stab through netherite.” Tubbo glared at the ghost, and Tommy joined him. Both teens stared the phantom down, Dream’s mask just stared back.

“You asked me who killed me, and I told you. I answered all your questions. Now, don’t you think it's time for you to go back and spread the good news? I bet there’s plenty of people who’d love to hear about me being dead!” A fake cheerfulness filled Dream’s voice. He was clearly annoyed by their refusal to leave. Tommy scowled at the tone.

“YOU-”

“Tommy wait,” Tubbo cut him off before the blonde could tell the ghost exactly what he was thinking. “I think, he might be right. We need to tell everyone about this. Remember how they all came to say their goodbyes? We’ve been gone for so long, they probably think we didn’t make it.” Guilt was clearly in Tubbo’s voice at the realization. The memory of everyone standing on the Prime Path, wishing them luck and giving them what they could spare, entered Tommy’s mind. Tubbo was right; they needed to tell everyone that it was okay now. 

But, at the same time, he left the Dream SMP with a single goal; getting the discs back. He wasn't done yet.

The compass from the chest was still clutched in his hand. Strangely enough, it had two familiar words engraved on the side; _“Your Discs.”_ It looked exactly like the one Dream left at his house.

“We’ll head back when I have my disc. This,” The compass was shoved in the ghost’s direction. “Better lead us to it. If you lied, Dream you're going to be in some deep shit.” 

The ghost scoffed at his words. “I’d rather die than have to deal with those stupid relics. Leave and don’t come back.”

“Fuck you, Dream.” For a moment, it looked as if Dream was going to say something but instead turned around and went back to creepily examining his own dead body. It was really fucked up.

It was clear that the conversation had come to a close, the ghost was expecting them to leave. Cautiously the two teens started moving, collecting Dream’s weapons from the chest. They remained on guard, not once allowing themselves to turn their backs on the ghost. Neither talked as the netherite weapons were stuffed into their packs or strapped onto their backs. It had been hard to travel with only their weapons and armour, but now Tommy had a feeling the extra weight would suck.

After a few minutes of tense silence, the ghost disappeared into one of the abandoned houses, and Tubbo sighed in relief. Now that they weren’t facing the dead spirit of their worst enemy, everything was starting to sink in. Tommy hadn’t noticed just how tense he was until he felt his shoulders slump. 

“Tommy, are you sure it’s a good idea to follow that compass. Dream…This ghost version of Dream doesn’t seem to want to hurt us like the living Dream had, but it's clear he doesn’t like us. Honestly, now that I’m thinking about it, this is all so weird. Maybe we should just head back to Snowchester or the SMP?” Tubbo sounded as uncertain as Tommy felt. They hadn’t planned for anything like this. For them, there were only ever really two outcomes; a hard-earned victory or a quick defeat. 

Except he was at the point where he just wanted it all to end. This endless disc war was finally at its conclusion. Tommy couldn’t wait for it to be over. Dream’s ghost didn’t seem too interested in the discs, and he now had one of them back. The moment he had _“Cat”_ things would be over.

“We need to get my disc back. Tubbo, this won’t end until I have both discs. Dream’s dead, and this is our chance to finish this. We’ll- We can figure things out as we travel.” 

Tubbo didn’t protest, and soon the two were leaving the abandoned village. Dream was nowhere in sight, his body left alone near the rundown prison. It felt like a weight was removed from their shoulders as the clearing was left behind them, a new one, a lighter weight, taking its place.

They were once more on the road, following a red arrow to their final destination. 

“Okay, so we both agree that this is fucked up.”

“Yeah,” Tubbo nodded, focused on the vast sea ahead of them. “I thought we would have to fight him. Instead, he’s dead now, and his ghost gave as all his things and the discs.”

“His ghost was really fucking weird. He shoved all his shit at us and then kicked us out. Why he was all shady and shit, I mean more than he usually is. Who the fuck is Cornelius?” 

“I- The more I think about it, the more everything seems off. It was like he didn't care about being dead. He just kept poking his corpse with a shovel. He was really set on being left alone. Also, did you notice how sometimes it sounded like he wanted to talk about his alive self in the third person? He stopped himself two times.”

“Wilbur calls himself Alivebur, so maybe it’s a ghost thing.”

“But then why did he stop himself?”

“I don’t know, but I think…we probably have to go back and interrogate that bitch some more. Seriously, who the fuck is Cornelius?” The raft was almost done.

“Hey, Tommy, did you get the feeling like he was kind of sad? I can’t stop thinking about how he knew everyone hated him. I didn’t think Dream ever really care about that before.”

“Wilbur is different as Ghostbur too. Maybe that's another ghost thing."

"Tommy, we can't call everything we don't understand a "ghost thing.""

Tubbo paused in his rowing to look at their makeshift paddle. “Why would the shovel be used already if he just died?”

“Wha?”

“Tommy, the wooden shovel he had, it looked like it was used.”

A loud gasp erupted from behind Tommy, and he stopped rowing his boat. When he looked up, his breath was taken away.

A giant mountain, top high above the clouds, rose from the sea. This was what they had expected from Dream. The compasses arrow was dead set on the giant formation. This was where the last disc was hidden.

“Tommy I think I see torchlight over by that beach area! This gotta be the right place!” Tubbo’s excited yell, tired from the hours of rowing, had Tommy searching for the orange light of a torch. It was slowly turning dark, and it would be great to be on land before the drowned rose. 

Quickening their pace, the two-rowed their makeshift raft to shore. It was a good thing the seas near the mainland were always calm for some reason. It was an unexplainable phenomenon similar to the different biomes. Ancient magic or some shit; Tommy stopped caring a long time ago. 

When their raft was close enough, the two jumped into the knee-deep water and pulled it to shore. Once they were sure they wouldn’t have to build a second raft to get back, they took a good look around them.

The island seemed totally uninhabited and untouched by man if not for the trail of torches stuck in the ground, leading to the base of the behemoth of a mountain. Tommy took out his sword, and the two started to cautiously follow the torchlight. While Dream himself was probably not a threat to them now, who knows what traps he could have left around this place.

Yet they weren’t careful enough as soon both teens felt cold metal press into the backs of their necks. Someone had snuck up on them and was now holding them at sword point. Tommy silently swore.

“Drop your weapons and turn around with your arms above your head.” Except they recognized that voice. It had been the last to say goodbye to them as they walked the Prime Path for what they thought might be the last time. A deep, unmistakable voice that had once haunted their nightmares. A voice Tommy had forgiven.

“Eret?” Slowly Tommy turned around, and Tubbo followed. There would be attackers had lowered their weapons in shock.

The king of the Dream SMP and their loyal knight stood before them, mouths agape.

“Tommy?” The monarch spoke, their voice barely above a whisper. Beside them, Captain Puffy had brought a hand up to cover her mouth, tears starting to pool in the corners of her eyes. “Tubbo? Your alive?”

Suddenly Tommy felt himself getting swept into a hug, Tubbo getting caught in it as well. It wasn’t a very comfortable hug, netherite armour getting in the way, but Tommy still felt the warmth. For a moment, he let himself wind down. Things had been confusing and stressful, even if Tommy hated to admit it.

But then a thought struck him that made him pull away from the hug. Eret let go and continued to look at the two teens like he couldn’t believe they were there.

“Wait, what are you doing here? How did you know this is where we were going?” If Tommy and Tubbo had to follow a compass to get here, it wouldn’t make sense for Eret to be here. The monarch and their knight had been ready to fight, so it wasn’t just some exploration. It was almost like they had been waiting for someone else.

“Punz brought us here!” Captain Puffy explained, eyes scanning over them, probably looking for any injuries. “He said that he wanted to help you fight Dream and helped us find the Nether portal to his base. But when we got here, you weren’t even there! We thought that- there was only one disc and the place was filled with awful- We thought he killed you!” Tears started to roll down the sheep hybrid's face. Tommy shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do in this situation. He was never good with people crying.

“We’ve been patrolling this area since the day before yesterday. We were planning to apprehend Dream when he came back here.” Eret’s words caught Tommy’s attention, and the mention of Dream made him think back to the abandoned village.

It sounded like Punz had accepted the payment Tommy left for him and had come to help them fight Dream. But the place was wrong. The compass had led them to the weird village in the middle of nowhere, not this giant mountain. Had Dream not told Punz about his change of plans?

It was a very Dream like move, but at the same time, it made no sense.

“Wait, so Punz thought Dream would fight us here?” Tubbo said, confusion clear in his tone. “But the compass led us in the completely opposite direction!”

Worry appeared on both the adults’ faces as they shared a look. It was Eret who voiced their shared thought.

“Tommy, Tubbo, did you fight Dream? What happened?”

The two teens remained silent for a moment.

“We didn’t fight him,” Tommy started, not knowing what sort of reaction to expect. “We found him dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really watch Eret (sorry) but I like his character and his voice is really cool. There’s going to be a lot of characters here that I won’t really know how to write because I don’t watch the cc who play them but I’ll try my best.  
> There’s just too much content for the Dream SMP. I want to at least try and have a healthy sleep schedule.
> 
> Thank you for all the kind comments they make me really really really happy! Again I did not expect people to like this as much as you guys do.  
> (Also woooo kind of a next day update!!!... this is rarity don’t get used to it.)


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